From a partner site
8/10 Good
Herman
2 Jul 2026
A charming, well-kept house awaited us f
Positive : A charming, well-kept house awaited us for our stay. Our host was similarly delightful as she took us around her spotless, comfortable, well-equipped home.
Negative : The problem with our stay was the sargassum, the floating mass of brown algae that regularly washes up on the beaches of the south coast of Guadeloupe. When it dries, it gives off an ammonia-like odour that punishes the nose and burns the lungs.
The smell was so bad during our stay, the event we had gone to Petit-Bourg to attend was cancelled. The streets of the town were empty and we too had to stay indoors.
None of this is the fault of the host of course. I repeat that she, as well as the property, were irreproachable. However, the sargassum problem is not new. I think that offering a holiday accommodation in Petit-Bourg without mentioning it these days is ethically questionable.
